1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to camera accessories, including vibration- and/or shock-resistant mounting devices and apparatus. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for mounting a camera under suspension to reduce the amount of vibration or shock to which the camera is exposed.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Recent trends in video recording include capturing extreme or intense activities that involve a high level of shock or vibration. Indeed, entire industries and cult-like followings have developed around extreme sports and activities. Various camera mounting systems permit modern cameras to be attached or connected to a variety of support structures, including vehicles, devices, animals, and people. These mounting support structures may then be exposed to intense movements or motions, including jarring, jolting, shaking, shocking, rocking, bouncing, bumping, thumping, and intense vibrations during the extreme activities.
The high level of force (e.g., G-force, impact, etc.) to which the camera is exposed may partially or entirely disrupt the desired video feed and may even damage or destroy the camera. For instance, intense vibrations can cause jitters in the video feed, reducing the quality of the video on playback. Large jolts or bumps can kill the video feed altogether, ruining a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture the perfect video. Even small impacts can damage sensors and other electronic components of the camera equipment, and large impacts can entirely destroy a camera used in extreme activities.
Moreover, even a continuous, otherwise undisrupted video feed can be ruined by bouncing of the camera during recording. While certain extremist prefer the home video or budget documentary look and feel of extreme activities, other video enthusiast prefer a smooth video feed that is substantially free of jolting camera movements. While rigidly mounted or attached camera mounting systems are available for the jolt-jockey extremists, an affordable and effective solution to bouncing cameras is lacking in the art. Complex spring-, gyroscope-, pendulum-, and/or gimbal-containing systems, for instance, are expensive and difficult to install and maintain. In addition, existing systems cannot be rotated and secured in place to capture video in other than a single, pre-determined direction or orientation relative to the structure to which they are attached. Similarly, existing systems are not configured to provide impact or vibration protection in a plurality of orientations.
In addition to the foregoing, camera equipment mounted within housings of known mounting systems may be exposed to other harsh physical conditions, including high and low temperature extremes. Cameras exposed to the elements can overheat in high temperatures and freeze in low temperatures. In some cases, conditions can change from extreme high temperature environments to extreme low temperature environments without adequate and/or advanced warning. Thus, camera operators are at a disadvantage when it comes to thermal management of cameras in known mounting systems.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in conventional camera-mounting systems that can be addressed.